It wasn't like with Guero. There was too much distance that Teresa and James had to cross. There were too many half-truths and silent dinners between them. It was hard- getting James to open up to her, reminding herself to let him in. It was hard and slow and painful sometimes. But it was also easy. Under the silence and the distance and the fear, there was trust and respect and care.
Teresa had been surprised when James kissed her for the first time without an audience. It was early, he was making breakfast and she had just come downstairs. She had watched as he looked at her, like he was making up his mind about something. Then James had moved to the end of the counter where she was standing and pressed a small kiss to her cheek with a, 'Good morning'. She had pretended she was less shocked than she was, and had somehow returned his greeting without stammering.
That had been a good day. But there were bad days, too. And the closer they became the more bad days they seemed to have- because of Camila. She had been the one to force them to get married. She had been the one to put them together from day one. She had used James' feelings to manipulate things when Guero came back. But now the woman did everything she could to pull Teresa and James apart.
Teresa could feel Camila watching them as James placed his hand on her arm. It was nothing- he had done it almost from the beginning- but now Teresa could see the anger flaring in Camila's eyes. She kept putting the two of them in positions where they had to choose between each other and Camila. And each time it was harder and harder to find a middle ground.
Teresa turned into James' body. James tilted his head slightly, his dark eyes taking in her expression. The hand on her arm tightened slightly- a silent question. But Teresa shook her head. She didn't want to talk inside Camila's house- she knew how well her cameras and microphones worked. "Let's go home."
James' eyes narrowed for a moment, before he nodded. His hand slid down her arm and wrapped around hers. But before they could get to the door Camila stopped them. "Teresa, I need you to stay for a while longer." James furrowed his brows, but didn't say anything. Teresa knew he was letting her decide- knew that they would keep walking if she wanted to. But Teresa knew that Camila was planning something and she wanted to know what.
Her hand slipped from James'. He looked at Camila for a long moment then let his eyes fall to Teresa again. He let his hand rest on the small of her back for a moment, then he was putting the key to his Escalade in her hand and walking out the door. Teresa turned back around to face the other woman.
"You two are closer." Teresa stayed silent. "It makes me wonder if I made the right choice," she sighed. Her voice took on a motherly tone as she continued. "I'm worried for James. He's gotten soft. That's dangerous- for all of us, but especially for him." A flare of anger burst in Teresa's chest. She knew what Camila was doing- knew what she was trying to say. But James wasn't weak- he wasn't a liability. Not to Camila or her business.
But Teresa pushed the anger down. It was the reaction Camila wanted. "I'll talk to him," she said with a neutral voice. Teresa knew that James wasn't the reason she had kept Teresa. And she didn't want to be in that house longer than she had to be. "So," she started, "what did you need me for?"
Camila motioned for Teresa to sit down. She didn't. An arched brow was the only response from the other woman- but it was enough. "Kelly Ann Van Awken has asked you to come to a dinner party at her home soon. Go. Keep her happy and make sure our business is not discussed with her…friends," Camila sneered. She waited for a reaction, but Teresa didn't give one. She could have texted her or called for this.
"Was that all?"
The pleasant façade fell. The Camila she had seen her first day, the Camila she had seen at El Limpiador's- that was the Camila she saw now. "No." Her tone had lost any affection it might have had before. "Loyalty…is the most important thing in this world. It is a gift, one that is earned. And James' loyalty belongs to me." Teresa felt her fingers tingle slightly. "He has stood by my side for years- through wars and girlfriends and death. He has my loyalty like I have his. But you…" she said, words sharp and cold. "You may be smart, and cunning, but you haven't earned my loyalty."
"I've done nothing but help you- help your business."
Camila waved a hand dismissively. "And you've almost cost me my business. Don't forget whose house you're in- or who built it. It wasn't you. Your happy little world- your marriage- it can all go away, like that," she said, snapping her fingers loudly. "You have Pote following like a good soldier- fine." Teresa turned and walked to the door. "But if you try and take James…" Teresa pulled opened the door. "You have more to lose than I do, Teresa." The door slammed behind her.
But Teresa still heard her.
"Including your husband."
She didn't tell James what Camila said. She didn't tell Pote, either. Instead she stayed quiet and watched. She watched the way James acted with Camila. She looked for signs that things were changing in their relationship. They weren't- James was the same as he had been since the beginning. Even when Camila gave Teresa dangerous jobs or jobs were her body was more interesting to a buyer than their product. James came to each job with the same focus and the same reservations as always. With Camila he was the same.
It was with Teresa that he was different.
"She's being paranoid." Teresa turned at the sound of James' voice. "Camila. She's being paranoid. Thinks you're planning to leave and that I'll go with you." Teresa took in the way his thumb rubbed against his fingers. She watched him take a deep breath. "She's pushing me- with these new jobs. She wants me to react, say no."
Teresa took James' hand and pulled him to sit next to her on their sofa. She wasn't surprised that James had noticed the change from Camila. She had seen the looks Pote had been giving in the meetings and if Pote saw it then of course James had too. "Then don't. Pote is always with me at meetings if you aren't. Nothing will happen." But James was already shaking his head. "James-"
"She's pulling Pote. She's gonna start sending Matthews instead." Teresa frowned. Matthews had been at the warehouse- all of the girls tried to stay away from him. James looked over and saw her expression. "It's like with our marriage. She's picking someone who won't protect you- someone who isn't loyal to you."
Teresa thought over the new information. She ran a hand through her hair, gripping tightly at the base of her neck. "So what? We can play by her rules but nothing will change her mind." James kept silent. Teresa ran through options, but there weren't many- end things with James, keep doing what they were doing, or get out. But that was too risky, they weren't prepared to split from Camila and they didn't have the resources or connections to hide from her if she came after them- and she would.
So Teresa leaned into James' chest- felt him breathe as he held her close.
And she didn't say anything.
James looked at the papers spread out on their kitchen table. Teresa could see his anger in the stiff way he held himself. She could feel his disbelief in the way he kept rereading each paper. And she could hear his fear when he asked what she wanted to do. Because there was no way that Teresa could stay with Camila after this.
Kelly Ann's party had been an excuse to get Teresa to her house without Camila. She had taken her to Cole's study and opened a safe. Teresa had watched as she pulled out a folder with documents for the purchase of a trawler company Camila had wanted. Teresa had seen it already- had been there when Camila signed the papers. But instead of seeing 'Camila Vargas' in black ink at the bottom of each page, Teresa saw her own name.
So Teresa had taken the papers. She had gone home. She had showed James. Because she couldn't think of anything else to do until then. Teresa let out a bitter laugh as James sat down across from her. His head came up to look at her with furrowed brows. "She lectured me about loyalty. She signed these papers weeks ago and then lectured me about loyalty."
"Teresa. What do you want to do?"
Teresa shook her head. What she wanted to do was run. But she was tired of running. She was sick of looking over her shoulder, wondering when a Vargas was going to put a bullet in her. And there was nowhere to go. If she left, she'd be away from Tony. She couldn't take him with her- not yet. She would have no protection. "I don't know," she sighed tiredly.
James pushed his chair back from the table, the legs scraping loudly against the floor. He stood up and walked to where Teresa was sitting. He turned her chair so that she was facing him before pulling her to her feet. Teresa lifted a brow in question but didn't fight him. Instead she let her feet follow behind James as he led her upstairs to the bedroom.
Teresa watched from her place by the door and James began to take off his shoes. A few second later his shirt followed, then his pants. The clothes were draped over the bench at the foot of the bed- Teresa had gotten it a month after the wedding. But her eyes left the bench and moved back to James. He had pulled on some sweats and now he stood in front of her, one of his t-shirts over his bare shoulder.
His hands moved to the top of her jacket, slowly pushing off her shoulders, down her arms, and off. Next he unbuttoned the blouse she had worn that day, removing it from her body. She stood in her bra, watching the way his eyes dipped for a moment before falling to the waistband of her pants. His hands went to undo them, but Teresa brushed his hands away gently. "I can do it," she whispered.
Her pants fell down her legs and she stepped out of them. James helped her pull on the t-shirt he had been holding. Then he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her into him and she let her head rest on his shoulder. They stayed that way for a long while- James giving her a moment to breathe. Then he pulled back, moving to stand behind her and guiding her to the bed. It was still new- this closeness. Even though more than four months had passed since Guero left, things still felt off-limits sometimes. But the feeling faded more quickly now.
The two crawled into bed, Teresa curling up against James' side. She felt the rumble of his words in his chest when he spoke. "I'm not gonna let you take the fall for her." Teresa shifted slightly to see his face. His eyes were on the wall in front of him and there was no emotion on his face. But she could hear something in his voice. "We grab Tony. We move some money around. I've got enough for us to get somewhere out of Camila's reach and lay low for a while. And I know you've got something stashed somewhere." She nodded, thinking of the go bag she kept in her closet and the international bank accounts she had.
"Kelly Ann thinks that the papers we have are the only copies. She went through his computer, but didn't find anything." James' shot her a skeptical look. She knew he didn't like Kelly Ann much, but they wouldn't even know what Camila did without her. "She's a lawyer in her own right, James. She's outgoing, not stupid." Teresa waited for a response, but he didn't give one. She sighed. "I want to get Tony last. Camila knows where he is- she's probably watching him. If we move him-"
"She'll know things are changing." Teresa nodded. "Alright, money and a new place. Then we get Tony. Pote's gonna follow you wherever you end up." She smiled at the annoyed tone in James' voice. They might respect each other, but that didn't mean they liked each other. "I'll talk to him. We gotta move fast. A week, tops." Teresa looked around the room. She liked it here, she liked the things they had and the way they were finally making it theirs instead of letting it be a place two people lived in. But if leaving meant staying together and staying safe…
"Okay," she said softly, lacing her fingers with James'.
"Okay."
They had planned things well. Teresa would continue moving product in Malta. King George had agreed to do transport for her. She had made a deal with the Colombians for product as well. After Camila's betrayal, Teresa didn't care about using Camila's connections to further her own business. So by the end of the week the only thing left to do was leave.
But everything went wrong.
Isabella was kidnapped. Camila went mad with worry. Her paranoia was so much worse than it had been. Her distrust only grew. So she kept James close. So close that Teresa hadn't even seen him in the two days leading up to them leaving. And Camila hadn't given her access to anything- not her house, not the warehouses, not even Pote.
But James had called her. He told her to go to their house, to pack his truck and go. They had talked about it- what to do if things went wrong. She wasn't sure she wanted to leave without him, though. But the papers from Kelly Ann mocked her from her bedside table. She couldn't risk it- Tony needed her. So she loaded up the truck and drove to the private airport that George was meeting them at.
She didn't get James' text until it was too late. 'Change of plans. Camila's at the airport. Text George and reset the meet point.' She read the message as she stopped in front of the runway that George was supposed to meet them at. Instead of it being empty, though, Teresa watched as Camila and Epifanio stepped off of a private plane. James followed a minute later and Teresa flinched at the way he froze on the steps of the plane when he saw his truck.
Teresa got out of the car and walked towards Camila. She saw James pull his gun, keeping it low as he walked up behind Epifanio. "So," Camila sneered. "You were just going to run. You were going to leave James?" the older woman smirked, her arrogance rising when she realized that James wasn't moving to stand beside Teresa. "I told you, loyalty is earned. I guess you still haven't earned his, yet."
Teresa forced herself not to look at James. She kept her eyes on Camila. "You set me up. You were going to let me take the fall for your trawler company. I saw the second set of papers." Camila scoffed, but Teresa didn't give her a chance to say anything. "You speak of loyalty, but you have none. You used your own daughter to force Epifanio to give you money. You used Guero to get to me- to get to James. The only loyalty you care about it who's loyal to you. And you're right- I'm not loyal to you."
"I will shoot you down before I let you walk away and threaten my business. There can only be one queen and it won't be you."
Teresa shook her head. "I don't want to fight you, Camila. I just want to be free of you. I'm not trying to take your business or compete. But I'm not going to let you control me or my life anymore." But something had changed in Camila's eyes. The fear and paranoia had turned into rage. Teresa watched as Camila turned and pulled Epifanio's gun. Teresa reacted, her own gun coming up, pointing at Camila. Teresa fired first- but instead of Camila, Epifanio went down.
Teresa didn't have a chance to process what had just happened- what it meant. James was pulling her to the truck and pushing her into the passenger's seat. "I texted George when I saw you. He's meeting us at the docks." But Teresa barely heard him. Her mind was caught on the image of Isabella running from the plane- running to her father. The father Teresa had just killed. "Teresa. It wasn't your fault. They know what this business is. He knew what the risks were. This is not on you."
But his words meant nothing. She remembered what it was like to be the center of her parents' world- to be loved and cared for. She remembered what it was to laugh with her father and dance with her mother. And she remembered the day her parents died. She hadn't understood the rules then- the Cartel's rules meant nothing to her. All she had known was that her parents were dead.
And now she was the reason Isabella Vargas knew that same pain.
George's boat was nice. White and gold of course, but there were no rocket launcher being played with this time. Teresa leaned against the side rail, looking out at the sun reflecting on the water. She had never seen a sunset like this. It was calming, feeling the breeze against her skin, the saltiness in the air. It was a peaceful end to a chaotic day.
Behind her Teresa could hear George laughing with his crew. She could hear the low rumble of Pote's voice- probably complaining. But the sounds brought her some comfort. It pushed away the guilt she had felt at the airport. It drowned out the fear she felt as she thought of what Camila would do next. A shout from tony had her turning around. But he was smiling, watching the group of men playing a game. That was what she wanted for him- laughter, not pain. She would sacrifice anything for that kid.
"Hey."
James stepped up beside her and Teresa leaned into him. "Hey. Is everything okay?" James had been making calls for hours. Favors were called in, information shared, and she knew that some bridges were burned too. He looked tired, but the stress that had been radiating off of him seemed to have faded. His eyes were on Tony and George's crew, but Teresa knew his min was already in Malta, planning first steps.
"I got a connect in Europe. They'll make introductions. Set us up outside of any claimed territory." She nodded, moving to stand in front of him, her chest to his. His arm came up to hold her close. It wasn't much- Guero would have been all over her- but she was happy with this. James looked down at her with a half smirk. "I always knew you were trouble."
Teresa smiled as she remembered another time James had called her that. Back when things were still shaky, back when Epifanio was her biggest problem and James was just some guy. "I'm worth it though, right?" James tilted his head like he was thinking, the smirk growing a little bit wider. She pulled back slightly, eyebrow raised.
"We'll see how things go in Malta," he said, his smirk turning into a grin. Teresa moved to walk away, but James' arm around her waist kept her from moving. She didn't see this side of him often- the playful side. But she was going to enjoy it while she could. She was going to let herself be playful, too. They deserved that- with each other if not with anyone else. James pressed a quick kiss to her forehead. "You're worth the trouble, Teresa. Even back then you were worth it."
She turned around and leaned against James' chest. His arms wrapped around her and she let out a content sigh. She hadn't thought she could have this. She hadn't thought she could want this again. But she did. And now as she closed her eyes and took in the scent of James' cologne mixed with the salty air, Teresa felt like she would finally be alright- they would be alright.
Maybe one day she'd thank Camila for making her marry James.
